title: Idiopathic and recurrent thromboembolic phenomena in cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is one of the most common complications in cancer patients. It is not only associated with both reduced survival and a high number of recurrences, but an idiopathic VTE also increases the likelihood of a cancer diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 2000 and October 2005 we reviewed the medical history of 88 patients who were admitted to a tertiary hospital and presented both a diagnosis of VTE and any type of tumour. The information collected included the type of tumour, the temporal association between tumour diagnosis and VTE, anticoagulation treatment applied and percentage of recurrences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten patients (11.4%) presented the VTE prior to the cancer diagnosis; only half of them underwent a posterior tumour screening routine. Fifteen patients (17%) were diagnosed simultaneously and 71% presented the VTE after the tumour was detected. In 47 patients (53.4%) no risk factors for VTEs were detected. Twenty-nine patients (31.7%) presented a recurrent VTE, mainly during chemotherapy treatment (66%). Less than half of the patients (47.57%) were receiving treatment with low-molecular- weight heparins (LMWH).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Idiopathic VTEs may be the first manifestation of an occult neoplasia, but tumour screening is scheduled in only a few patients. Regarding the high incidence of recurrent VTE in cancer populations, a high percentage is attributed to the underuse of LMWH, whose efficacy in preventing recurrent phenomena is superior to oral dicumarinics.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Infanta Sofía, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain. Miriam.lopez@telefonica.net
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: López-Gómez
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gómez-Raposo
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sereno Moyano
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Casado-Sáenz
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feliú Batlle
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ortega Ruipérez
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: González Barón
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012008:Recurrence; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants